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Ethnography
Remember the Titans displays three distinct racial cultures: Black culture, White culture, and a desegregated culture. Distrust and animosity for the other culture are deeply seeded within both White and Black culture. Herman Boone does his best to racially blend his team as soon as he can. When the team is reporting to training camp and load themselves on the bus based on race he pulls them off and sorts them by position. He pairs a black and a white player and makes them roommates for the duration of camp. By doing this from the beginning he is increasing their exposure to each other in order to build trust within the team. Many of the black team members bond over music. However, not all of the black teammates can get behind the music. Gerry Bertier and Julius Campbell bond momentarily when they agree that Blue Stanton should stop singing, but quickly return to a deep-seeded mistrust originating in race. As the team progresses at training camp, Boone is constantly forcing the races back together. He makes practice three times a day until each member of the team knows every other member of the opposite race. The cultures come together during camp, following this pivotal moment when Gerry has his eyes opened by Julius during their “getting to know each other” assignment. Following this video, Gerry and Julius unite the team after Gerry calls out his white friend for not blocking for Rev. The Black versus White culture is what Gordon Allport (in Leary, 2013, p. 12) calls “Intergroup Contact Theory” or ICT. ICT suggests that the “communication barriers and absence of knowledge can lead to ignorance.” Since the schools have been segregated, there has been minimal racial contact. This breeds hatred and misunderstanding between cultures. The Titans are forced tog ether before anyone else, so by the time they get back from training camp they (most of them) have already confronted their fears and misunderstandings. As Neito (2010, p. 129) says "Accomodation needs to be shared by everyone," and the Titans accomodated. When they get back to school they are shocked that, although they have learned that a person different race is a person just like they are, the rest of the world has not. While the Titans were mixing their cultures and bonding as a team and as friends, the outside world was making no progress. When the Titans decided they would not allow the culture of the outside world to determine how they played, interacted, and succeeded as a team, the town started coming together. Diners start allowing “Titans” to eat there free regardless of race. The stands at the football games went from having a white and black section to being mixed. A policeman stopped Julius in a white neighborhood to tell him what a great game he had played instead of to ask him why he was there. A respect builds between community members regardless of race because they have been brought together, and bonded over, football. Gerry will not allow any player to take away the trust, respect, and harmony the team has built, and therefore, when a white player misses a block with the intent that the black quarterback gets harmed, he steps in. The State Championship game clip is evidence of how far everyone has come. The team is playing to maintain their perfection and as a show of solidarity after Gerry's life-changing accident. Boone trusts Yoast’s advice on offense, Yoast admits Boone has done what he couldn’t have, and everyone, no matter the color of their skin, comes together to celebrate. By the end of the movie, the town is united and has formed bonds nobody is able to break. Although the team was made up of high schoolers they were able to display the acceptance, selflessness, and comraderie the town had been lacking and become role models for the adults in their lives. Leary, R. (2013). Remember the titans: a theoretical analysis. Journal Of Arts And Humanities, (4), 11. Nieto, S. (2010). The light in their eyes. (10th anniversary ed.). New York, NY: Teachers College Press. Yakin, B. (Director) (2000). Remember the titans DVD.